1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to equipment mountings and more specifically, to a releasably mounted equipment rack for mounting to the roll bar and windshield frame of a vehicular interior.
2. Description of Prior Art
An equipment mounting system must provide adequate physical support for the equipment utilized while also providing the equipment in an accessible position to the user. When the equipment is to be utilized in a vehicle, the space available for use is quite confined and difficult to identify. The use of such equipment by front seat occupants particularly the driver, must not allow the front outward viewing to be hampered. An added complication occurs when the vehicle does not include a rigid vehicular top for supporting such equipment.
Viewing equipment such as the U.S. Army's night vision driver's viewers including the currently fielded AN/VAS-5 drivers vision enhancer which allow for vehicular drivers to navigate in severely reduced light or total darkness. A remote driver's viewer allows all controls and viewing output to be contained within a vehicle's interior while the sensor is placed outside of a vehicular hatch opening cover. With the advent of the "soft top" high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), the use of hatch openings and other associated roof structures are no longer available for mounting use.
While the prior art has reported using equipment mountings none have established a basis for a specific device that is dedicated to the task of resolving the particular problem at hand. What is needed in this instance is a releasably mounted equipment rack mounted to the roll bar and windshield frame of a vehicular interior of a soft top vehicle.